Big beach recycling scheme gets started in Teignmouth

A big beach recycling scheme to help protect Teignmouth seafront from future storm damage gets underway today.

Specialist diggers and bulldozers will move 10,000 tonnes of sand from the estuary side of The Point Spit to the sands in the front of The Point car park.

Beaches act as giant sponges soaking up wave energy and this reshaping of the beach will give it a protective healthy layer in readiness for any future winter storms like those that hit the South Devon coastline in February.

The work starts today (21 October) and will take three weeks. The work has been carefully planned to ensure disruption is minimised for nearby residents and businesses.

The timings have to fit in with the ebbs and flows of the tides so there will be some early starts and late finishes.

Public access will be restricted along a section of the beach from the Point Slipway to the western end of the sandbank. Signs have been put up at places where people can get onto the beach in that area.

Cllr Kevin Lake, Teignbridge District Council’s executive spokesman for environmental services, said: “This is a great opportunity for us to provide the seafront with an extra protective layer that can help it withstand the ferocity of storms like we had in winter.

“Many people will remember the destruction left on the seafront when the waves destroyed flower beds and ripped up asphalt in The Point car park.

“We want to ensure the beach is fighting fit for winter and we can only do that by transporting materials from the Point to the Town Beach where it has been eroded.

“We will of course try to ensure that the work is carried out without causing too much disruption. However works of this nature will restrict access to the beach for a while and we would encourage people to be mindful of the signs.”

Cllr Sylvia Russell, Teignbridge District Council’s ward member for Teignmouth East, and executive member for health and wellbeing, said: “I have no doubt that the public will be reassured to know that this work is being done. Over the last few years it has become apparent that the Point car park has become vulnerable to storm damage and I welcome the commitment of all our partners to ensure our sea defences remain supported.”

Data collected by the South West Coastal Monitoring Programme, led by Teignbridge, shows sands levels at Teignmouth Town Beach are lower than was recommended in a recent beach management study. This means it is more vulnerable to being overwhelmed in bad weather. This type of intervention work forms part of a Beach Management Plan that will reduce flood and erosion risk.

Money came from the Environment Agency to protect coastal areas from weather like that experienced across the South West earlier in the year. The proposals are supported by Teignmouth Harbour Commission, Teignmouth Town Council and the Teign Estuary Partnership.